gremlinwithapen - Tumblr blog

[gremlinwithapen]

okay i made another quiz but this time it’s which monster you’ll get to hook up with. reblog with your result!!

[gremlinwithapen]

finally I got them all

[gremlinwithapen]

Augusnippets Day #31: Protective Caretaker

tw: cornered whumpee, threats

"Oi!"

Monsoon paused mid-snarl, their head snapping towards the sound of the voice from where he had been backed against the wall. His quintet of attackers' attentions were drawn over as well, but their grips on their various weapons never faltered.

"You all have exactly five seconds to back away from my friend here," Cassie said as she stepped into the alley, her voice laced with a deadly calm.

"And why should listen to you? The fishy bastard over here took a swipe at one of my boys! Scared the shit out of him and nearly cost me a whole shipment!" One of the men hissed at her, motioning towards the Selkie with an electrified fishing spear.

"Well, I'm sorry for whatever damage he might have caused, but I suggest you back down," she murmured, keeping her voice steady as she took another step forwards. "And I'm not afraid to make sure you do."

"Really? And what're you gonna do about it?" One of the others, a stocky alien covered in sandy brown quills, asked as they approached her. "You look like you couldn't hurt a-"

They were cut off as she grabbed them by the neck and lifted them into air in one fluid motion. Monsoon's own surprise was mirrored in the stunned silence of the gathered people around him.

"I'm going to ask you one more time," she said as she held them in the air for a moment before letting go and turning her gaze towards the rest of them. "Leave them alone, before I make you."

Monsoon watched as the alien that had just been dropped cut their losses and scampered off. The other four seemed to take another moment to deliberate their options. It seemed like they might just let their pride get the better of them, but her recent showing and the plasma rifle peeking out from under her cloak convinced them otherwise.

"Let's go. That fucker ain't worth it," the tallest human muttered as he called his friends off. They all turned tail and ran off, leaving only the two of them in the alley.

"I could've handled that, you know." Monsoon said as they shook themself off and lumbered over to her.

"Maybe, but I think your method would've been a good bit messier."

"Fair enough. How the hell did you even do that, anyways?" They asked, tilting their head. If they hadn't had much respect for her before, they certainly did now.

"I've been lugging Val around for the past fourteen years of my life," Cassie chuckled softly as she held up her arm in a half-hearted flex. "Not to mention the equipment for her mech and the stuff I use to repair it."

"That makes sense, actually," he mused. "And before you ask what happened, I just… Got a little overwhelmed. I don't think I hurt anybody that badly, but I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Then we can save it for later," she nodded as she patted their shoulder. "Let's get you back to the ship, yeah? I think you could use some quiet time after all of that."

"Sounds great," Monsoon sighed as he started following her back, more than ready for a break after being out in this town for too long.

@augusnippets

[gremlinwithapen]

LAST DAY GUYS. YOU ALL DID SO WELL!!! super proud of everyone who partook, great job everybody

[gremlinwithapen]

Augusnippets Day #30: Addiction

tw: drug withdrawals

Val was just so damn tired.

It felt like every nerve in her body was shaking with exhaustion as she dragged herself out of bed with a groan. She wished she could stay down a little longer, but they had to get moving today.

Gods, what she wouldn't give for just a drop of stimulants in her system. Something to keep her going, to remind her of the days spent powering Catalyst as it careened about, acting as the beating heart of a massive machine.

Not that she'd willingly be going back to her mech anytime soon, not while Sibyl could still do… Whatever they'd been doing to her. The memories of what had happened--what had apparently been happening for years--were still just a bit out of her reach. And, if she was being honest, she wanted most of them to stay that way.

It was nice to dream, though. She hadn't realized how much she'd relied on those chemicals to keep her body going throughout the day, even the ones where she wasn't directly Piloting her mech. Her instructors had always said the smaller doses in between outings were to keep her mind sharp, but she'd recently learned that most of what she'd learned from them was just elaborate bullshit, so who knew.

The one thing that she was sure of was that she was definitely regretting all those extra hits right about now (and wishing that she could have so much more at the same time, but she was trying not to think about that). She stumbled into the tiny kitchen of the shelter they were staying in until they could get off-planet in a couple of days. The people running it thankfully hadn't asked questions when Cassie had shown up dragging her half-dead form in, and they seemed content to continue that for as long as the pair had credits to pay. The problem was that they have those much longer, not once Cassie's family figured out what had happened and cut her off from their funds. Hopefully, they'd be long gone by then.

"Morning, Val," the woman in question murmured as she noticed her partner shuffling in. "How're you feeling? You were tossing and turning all night."

"Feelin' better than ever," she mumbled her way through the lie as she gratefully took the mug of coffee that was offered to her. It wasn't nearly as strong as she wanted it to be, but it would do.

"That's good to hear," Cassie smiled, even though Val knew she hadn't taken the bait, because she never did. She was just giving her a moment to wake up a bit more before she started fretting over her, something she was thankful for.

The Pilot settled down into one of the patch-covered armchairs they'd dragged over to the counter to make a table, placing the mug down for a moment. She watched her hands as they shook subtly, sighing. The tremors came and went these days, and only got worse whenever she was feeling that need for a heart-pounding high.

It was a reminder that her life would never be the same again, that she'd never get the things she'd had before back. For a second, she wondered if it was all worth it. If the sickness, the pain, the exhaustion were all worth it.

Then she glanced up at her partner, and then back at her own body. Her free will, however much of it was left, wouldn't let her give in. Cassie wouldn't let her give in. Maybe all of this was futile, maybe she was clawing her way through hell just to end up in chains of wires and gears again no matter what.

If that was really all there was for her, then she would do what she always did.

If she was gonna go down, she was going down swinging.

@augusnippets

[gremlinwithapen]

Augusnippets Day #29: Singing

tw: nightmares, kidnapping, snares

Harmony.

If there was the word that described Circe's life as she soared through the skies of her home, that was it. She could feel it in the flapping of her wings, the rustling of the trees, the lapping of the waves against the island shores. It was nigh on impossible to miss the music that was intertwined with her planet and the species it housed.

The priestess smiled as the billowing of the wind mixed with the chiming of the jewelry that was glittering amongst the feathers of the flock it was guiding. It sang along, humming the lyrics of an old sea shanty who's origin had been lost to time. They all knew the words, their wingbeats keeping time as they crossed the long stretches between scattered island and archipelagoes.

It was a gorgeous day, a perfect day. It was almost ironic that it was the day where all of it would be torn away from her in an instant.

The moment it had touched down on the Isle, traps had sprung. Heavy ropes had entangled its wings and metal snares had snapped around its talons, dragging her down, down, down. Its songs had turned to screams, then to muffled sobs as a muzzle was snapped shut around its snout.

Her body was hefted up and shoved into darkness and silence, horrible, horrible darkness and silence. She was left with her spiraling thoughts and reeling mind, too shellshocked to do much else besides cry in pain as she was lost, trapped, taken, tangled-

Its eyes shot open with a strangled gasp as it wrenched itself from the nightmare, its vision struggling to focus in the dim lighting. For a moment, it almost thought that it was still stuck in that crate, chained and bleeding and being shipped off to gods-know-where. But no, there was the soft red light of an alarm clock, there was the blinking green of a charging port, and there was the barely-perceptible glow coming off of its Selkie friend.

Monsoon was bundled up on the far edge of the makeshift nest of fabric and padding she'd managed to stitch together, his bioluminescent scales casting the air around him in a faint blue hue. It reminded her of what moonlight looked like from under the surface of the water, in some abstract way.

Even as it realized that it had just been a nightmare, its heart kept on pounding in its chest. So it did what it always did to calm down. It listened.

She heard the sound of her own panicked breathing first, but there was so much more beneath that. There was a quiet chorus of breaths and snores that filled the room, mingling with the buzzing of a fan and the shifting of blankets. It was a chorus of life, no matter how soft. It meant that the four other people in the room were alive and alright, that nobody had abandoned her in the night.

It was music to its ears as it laid its head back down on its feathers. It helped to quell its fears, even if only for a moment. It wasn't exactly a song of home, but it was close enough.

A contented sigh escaped her lips as the sounds became her lullaby, lulling her to back sleep with the promise of surviving to see another dawn.

@augusnippets

[gremlinwithapen]

Anybody else got that Evergiven sized writers block

[gremlinwithapen]

Augusnippets Day #28: Mind Control

tw: mind control, body control, disassociation

Val was trapped.

It wasn't that she couldn't move, necessarily. Her body was getting along just fine, piloting Catalyst with practiced precision as it swept over the earth beneath her.

No, the problem was that she wasn't the one in control of her body.

She felt like a puppet being dragged along by mechanical strings, unable to stop herself no matter how hard she tried to tear her limbs away. Every time it felt her consciousness was getting anywhere close to reconnecting with her nervous system, a painful buzzing sensation shot through her head and broke her concentration.

How the hell was this even happening? She had to be dreaming, to be stuck in some horrifying nightmare brought on by stress or something like that. Maybe if she just ignored it all, it would go away. That was how nightmares worked, right?

It was surprisingly easy to let herself drift back into the depths of her mind, and it felt like some little voice buried inside was coaxing her to just go numb. It certainly seemed like a much better option than trying struggle and getting nothing but a pounding headache in return.

And, man, was her head pounding. It was impossible to think through the pain, and why would she even bother to? It wasn't like there was much to ponder besides the ringing in her ears and pressure in her skull that drowned out everything else.

She wasn't even sure what her body was doing anymore, just that it was going somewhere. Not that it was her problem, anyways. She was just a passenger, numb to anything happening outside the confines of her mind. That was, until-

"Val?"

That was Cassie's voice, so clear and there that it stirred her from her spiral and sent her right back down another one. Oh gods, this was real. This wasn't a nightmare. She was standing right there on the catwalk--when had she gotten out of her mech? How much had she missed in her stupor!? She had to warn her partner, to beg for help, to-

"I'm fine, Cassandra. I just need to go speak with the Director. I'll meet you afterwards."

Who had said that? It definitely hadn't been her, and yet it had come from her mouth. Cassie had to know something was wrong, right? She had to see the look in her eyes, see the fear that she so rarely showed.

"Alright, then. Try and make it quick, okay? You look more than a little roughed up after that fight."

What?

Her stunned mind didn't have time to react until her gaze was torn away from Cassie's and her body marched away from her only hope. The buzzing saw its chance and swept in again, stealing away her awareness before she even realized what was happening.

The last thing she heard before sinking back under was the sound of a door opening and a voice.

"Good, you're here. And I was worried that I was going to have to come get you myself. Well then, come in, and don't fret. After all, you won't have enough memories of this left for it to be worth it by the time I am done with you."

@augusnippets

[gremlinwithapen]

Augusnippets Day #27: Chronic Pain/Phantom Pain

tw: in the prompt

Everything fucking hurt.

That was Val’s first thought as she was dragged out of her slumber by the throbbing pain that had plagued her for the past couple of weeks. It was definitely one of the worse days, judging by the way her joints screamed in protest as she rolled over to call out to Cassie.

Imagine her surprise when she found her partner still curled up next to her on their makeshift bed, cocooned so tightly in a quilt that only her head was visible.

“Your leg actin’ up again?” Val asked sleepily as she brushed a tuft of brown hair away from her face.

“Yeah…” Cassie groaned, her exhaustion written all over her expression. “Your mechanics acting up too?”

“Aren’t they always?” Val sighed right back, shuddering as another wave of crawling sensations wriggled beneath her skin.

“Alright, lemme get up,” the other human mumbled as she started to sit up and stretch. She squeaked a little in surprise as her partner reached over to pull her right back down.

“No, you’re hurting too. I’m used to this by now, I can handle grabbing the stuff,” the Pilot murmured into as she pressed her face against Cassie’s neck. If she was being honest, this was one of the worst days yet since her fever had broken, but Cassie didn’t have to know that.

“Well, you’re also very sick, and I don’t want you passing out or vomiting on the way there. So stay,” she said as she gently pushed away the arms embracing her and got up fully. No amount of protests from Val could stop her as she used the objects piled up around them as makeshift supports, hopping her way on over to where their supplies were stored.

There was a couple of muffled thumps and swears before she came back, carrying bottle of cheap pain meds they’d managed to scrounge up enough money for in one hand and old heating pad in the other.

“Here,” she said as she poured two pills out for Val, who grabbed them and popped them in her mouth thankfully. “I already took some on the way here. You can take the first turn with the heat, too.”

“No, you take it. I know moving that much didn’t do you any favors for the pain,” Val sighed as she grabbed one of her pillows and placed it down for her partner’s residual to rest on. She knew that she was probably lying about taking the painkillers to conserve their dwindling supply, but she was too tired to argue about that by this point.

It seemed that Cassie shared a similar philosophy, since she allowed her to help her back onto the bed and press the warm pad against her stump.

“Fine, but you’re taking it in thirty minutes, okay?” She mumbled as she curled up, wrapping her quilt around herself again.

“Make it forty-five and it’s a deal,” Val smiled as she snuggled back up against the woman, rubbing her back like she always did whenever her phantom pains reared their ugly head. It was a familiar thing, letting her ignore her own pain in favor of soothing someone else’s. It let her pretend that everything was normal again.

Well, not exactly normal, but okay. And when it came down to it, okay was all she could ask for at the moment.

@augusnippets

[gremlinwithapen]

Augusnippets Day #26: Snuggling

Cassandra had only intended to sit down for a minute. There was still supplies to sort, wounds to clean and bandage, stops to plan...

However, it seemed that her traitorous companions had other ideas for the night.

It started with a puff of inky fur being dropped into her lap, one that quickly grew to become much larger heavier than it had any right to be. Soon there was an oversized, cat-like creature pinning her legs to the ratty old couch and blinking owlishly up at her with feigned innocence.

"Hello, Nobody," she sighed as she pat the kid on xheir fuzzy head, before turning her gaze upwards to catch sight of the mastermind behind this maneuver. "And hello to you too, love."

"Nothing gets past you, huh?" Val grinned as she draped a large blanket over her partner's trapped form. "Well, you're too late to stop me. My plans are already in motion."

"Baby, please. I have things to do," Cassie groaned, to stressed to have time for whatever her "plan" was. She tried to shrug the blanket off, but Val didn't give her the chance.

"Those things will still be there after you rest. You've been running yourself ragged taking care of all of us, and I know for a fact that I've been keeping you up at night with how sick I've been," she murmured as she moved to snuggle up alongside her, pressing a kiss into her forehead. "So chill out and let me pamper you. Besides, you wouldn't want to move poor Nobody, would you? Xhey're so comfortable right there, it'd be a crime to disturb them."

"Yep, sorry, too comfy," xhey nodded gravely as xhey flopped over to cover even more of her lap.

"You're both dead to me," Cassie deadpanned, even as she stifled a chuckle. She really should've been trying to get back up and back to work, but the kid's feline form was rather heavy, and the blanket was warm, and Val's arms were hugged so tightly around her even when she was still so weak...

And just like that, her fate was sealed as a bundle of feathers climbed its way onto the couch to join them, sandwiching her even further.

"I hope I'm not intruding," Circe murmured, though she was already settling down, her neck curving in to let her head rest on her downy wings.

"The more the merrier, I suppose. Not liked I have much of a choice," the mechanic sighed, finally admitting her defeat. She caught sight of Val's stupid, smug look out of the corner of her vision, and she rolled her eyes. Gods, her partner was an idiot. It was one of her best qualities, at least to her girlfriend.

A dull thudding sound made Monsoon's entrance obvious as he walked into the room and wordlessly settled down on the floor in front of the couch. He didn't make any move to join them, just curled up and rested his tail on his talons. When it came to the Selkie, that was enough.

Cassie looked at each member of their ragtag group in turn, taking in their weary eyes and scarred bodies. They were all tired, hurt, and had no idea what would come next. And yet here they were, going out of their way to make sure she got some rest.

"Thank you," she mumbled as she let her head loll onto Val's shoulder, her exhaustion seizing the moment to catch up with her.

"You're welcome," was all she said back as she pressed another kiss against her cheek and combed her hands through her hair.

Cassie's eyes slowly drooped shut, more than ready to finally get some half-decent sleep.

@augusnippets

[gremlinwithapen]

some really normal things to think about when you're extremely burned out at work with no end in sight

lying very still on a hospital bed and having various medical tests performed on you

sitting in a cave with a slowly dying fire in the middle of a blizzard, hoping you don't freeze to death before you're found

having a gas mask pressed to your face and being told that you're going to go to sleep now

being tied up and left to sit on some dirty floor while your kidnappers decide what to do with you

realizing that your water bottle has been poisoned and slowly passing out at your desk before you can call for help

floating unconscious in one of those tubes of mysterious liquid you always see in evil sci-fi labs

finding yourself in the body of a doll, unable to move on your own, being picked up and posed by a doll collector

[gremlinwithapen]

Augusnippets Day #25: Intimate Whumper

tw: brainwashing, restraints, electrocution

Wires. So many goddamn wires.

Val would think as a Pilot, she'd have gotten used to the coiling masses of tendrils that plagued her everyday life, but no. The feeling of being tangled and trapped in miles and miles of the things, holding up her limbs and plugging into the ports that littered her spine and arms, always made her uncomfortable for the first few moments that it happened.

That fact didn't exactly made her feel the greatest when she woke up in a pitch-black room, suspended in the air by thick ropes of wire, and with no idea how she'd gotten there. Last she could remember, she'd been on her way to her and Cassie's shared room, exhausted after a day of training.

"Don't have time for this bullshit..." She muttered in frustration, tugging against her electronic restraints and trying to reach her hands around to tear the attachments away from her mechanical parts.

"You know, sometimes I wonder if you're really worth keeping around."

Val paused in her struggles against her bindings, her eyes widening slightly as she noticed a pocket of light piercing the room, haloing the forever ethereal form of-

"Director?" She stuttered out in confusion, her thoughts racing. "Sa'am, what's going on?"

"I do love you, and you are my best student, truly," Sibyl sighed, ignoring her questions as they strode through the darkness, their eyes gleaming even in the low light. "How you ended up being so much work is really beyond me. The others only need a touch up once every month or so, but it seems like you get another idea stuck in that little head of yours every time we let you outside.

“Sa'am, what are you-"

“It’s that companion of yours. I really should deal with her sometime. A port here, a chip there, and she’d be keeping you in line with the snap of finger," they hummed to themself, seeming almost... pleased with the idea.

"Sa'am, I really don't..." Val's breath caught in her throat as the sense of unease that had been cooking in her gut boiled over into fear. "Please, whatever I've done, whatever this is, leave Cassandra out of it."

“Hush, girl,” Sibyl tutted as they made a motion with their hand. Val felt a sudden shudder course through her, and all her energy seemed to fizzle out in an instant. Her struggles faltered, leaving her dangling in the wires.

“You know, when she first joined, she practically demanded to serve by your side. I was afraid she would get too… attached, but her parents are powerful people and she seemed docile enough at the time. Underestimating her guile and your stupidity was my first mistake.”

“But that particular rant will have to wait for another time. Preferably for when your memory is less reliable, so to speak. I shouldn’t let a pesky setback like that ruin my quality time with my star student,” Sibyl smiled gently as they reached up to cup her cheek, ignoring they way she flinched back. "I do love to watch the fight drain from your eyes as you go under, even if we do have to settle for a quick induction today."

Val tried to muster up some sort of response to that, but all she could managed was an exhausted groaned. Sibyl simply just patted her cheek and walked off. She watched in muted terror as they glided over to a small computer terminal hooked up to the wall and pressed a few buttons.

A humming noise started to build up around her, sounding more like it was coming from her own mind instead of her surroundings. A jolt of electricity coursed through her, lighting her nerves on fire. She thrashed in agony, her body burning, screaming, spasming-

And then her eyes rolled back, and she tumbled into unconsciousness.

@augusnippets

[gremlinwithapen]

Augusnippets Day #24: Animal Attack

tw: blinding, suffocation, blood, nearly dying, animal death

You know, it wasn't every day that Monsoon learned something new.

Really, who knew that this specific species of alien fauna could spit motherfucking acid? Not him, certainly, and nobody in the crowd of screaming onlookers had bothered to clue him in.

Gods, they fucking hated surprises.

A pained roar tore from his lungs as he stumbled back, losing his grip on the serpentine creature. He clutched his face as his eyes burned agonizingly, blinded by the substance sizzling against his scales. Whether it was permanent or not was the least of his worries as he felt scale-covered coils begin to circle and entangle him.

"Let me go, you cheating bastard!" They snarled as they managed to shake off the pain long enough to lash out at their opponent, all four of their front talons trying to find purchase in its flesh. The occasional wet, tearing sound and the feelings of bloody meat under their claws clued them into their handful of successes, but it still wasn't enough as the snake kept on tightening its hold, unfettered by their blind thrashing.

Soon enough his arms were pinned beneath pounds of coiled scales, his legs kicking uselessly as he was lifted off the ground. He hissed as more droplets of venom hit the top of his head, and he could practically sense the serpent's jaws poised above him, fangs bared and ready to strike.

Or maybe that was just from the lack of oxygen currently getting to their brain as their lungs were constricted along with the rest of them. They gasped and choked, knowing that their vision would be swimming if they still had it at the moment.

He was quickly losing strength, his head sagging and eyelids drooping. Even the roar of the crowd seemed to be getting further away, the world finally going quiet. It was almost tempting to just let himself fall asleep, to end things once and for all. It would save him a good bit of pain, even if he ended up where he probably deserved to be. It would be so easy to just... drift off...

And then their back talons hit the ground, and they exploded into action.

His eyes snapped open as he shot upwards, finally able to make out the blurry outline of his opponent's body above him. His heart pounded with adrenaline, his jaws opening in a deafening roar.

When they snapped shut again, the snake's neck snapped with them.

The muscles holding them in place went lip, and they nearly collapsed alongside them. They hacked and coughed, feeling a nasty pain in their ribs that didn't paint the best picture of their insides. The rest of their body wasn't much better, their eyes still stinging harshly even as their vision slowly trickled back in.

He wanted nothing more than to lie down right then and there, not moving until somebody made him. But that wouldn't make for a very good show, would it, dearest? So he turned to face what he hoped was the direction of the main box and took a bow, hoping that would be enough.

Even though it probably wouldn't be, they were too exhausted to care. They simply just turned around and limped back out through the opening gate that was their exit.

He hated surprises, but he couldn't help but imagine that his boss might just surprise him with some half-decent medical attention, for once. Surely, after nearly dying for her profit and entertainment yet again, she would treat him with the bare minimum of respect and kindness?

Yeah, right. They would just have to stagger off to their quarters to heal the old fashioned way. Hooray.

@augusnippets

[gremlinwithapen]

Augusnippets Day #23: Wiping Away Tears

tw: vague mentions of body horror

"It's okay, kiddo. You're okay. I got you."

Nobody whined desperately as xhey grasped at the arms holding xhem, afraid that they might disappear. Xheir form fluctuated wildly as xhey choked and sobbed, too distressed to hold a proper shape.

"Wow, um, that's a lot of arms," Val's voice murmured in his ear, her hand patting whatever the equivalent to xheir back was right then. "Hey, hey, can you take some deep breaths for me? Nice and slow, just like this." Nobody could feel her chest begin to rise and fall in a steady pattern, and xhey found xhemself mirroring her movements. It was a struggle as xheir mouth and lungs changed shape every couple of seconds, but xhey managed to slow down xheir breathing through xheir hiccuping sobs.

"There you go, little buddy. You're doing great," the human sighed as she hugged xhem a little tighter. "Do you think you can try and shapeshift a little bit? Any form you want, as long as you can hold it."

"M'okay..." Xhey mumbled softly, squeezing xheir eyes shut. It was a struggle to focus in on the roiling storm of energy that xheir body had become, but xhey tried to bring it back under control. The image of a small, fuzzy mammal appeared in xheir head, and xhey ran with it.

Xhey swiftly shrank down, xheir form becoming compact enough that it was easy to shape while still being big enough that the pressure didn't make xhem uncomfortable. Then came the wings and fur, the ears and eyes, the snout and teeth. Xhey shook xhemself off as xheir body finally stabilized, making xhem feel much better.

"A bat, huh?" Nobody looked up to see the smirk on Val's face, her stony gray eyes filled with a mixture of mirth and relief. She reached down to wipe the leftover tears and snot off xheir face, now that xhey actually had a face to clean.

"Yep," xhey said as xhey sat back, altering xheir shape ever so slightly so xhey had the ability to speak. "They're one of my favorites, 'specially the big ones that eat fruit."

"Oh really? I didn't know that," she asked curiously as she held out her arm to help xhem scramble up. "How 'bout you tell me more about these things while we grab you a bite to eat?"

"Okay!" Xhey nodded as xhey dangled xhemself upside-down from her forearm, grateful for the distraction from what had just happened. "Well, uh, first thing is that these wings are just like you human's hands. It's kinda weird, whenever I change between them."

"That does sound pretty strange," the former Pilot mused as she started off towards the ship's kitchen, carrying xhem along with her. "What about those eyes of yours? Can't bats not see all that well?"

"No? I can see great, prolly better than you. Actually, the kind of bat I am doesn't do that echo-thing at all. It uses its eyes and nose to find fruit trees to eat and sleep in, and it travels with a bunch of others, and..."

Nobody just kept on going, the floodgates opening now that xhey had someone to listen to xhem. Val occasionally chimed in with questions and expressions of curiosity as she carried xhem around.

It was so nice, xhey could almost forget what made xhem freak out in the first place. And sometimes, that was all xhey needed.

@augusnippets

[gremlinwithapen]

Augusnippets Day #22: Recapture

tw: kidnapping, manhandling, dehumanization, drugging

No, no, no, this wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

Monsoon's heart pounded as he strained against the heavy net pinning him to the ground, snarling and snapping at anyone who got close.

They were free, they were supposed to be free! Not trapped under cold rings of metal, fighting like the cornered beast that they were. Not alone in some shady alley, their companions none the wiser to their situation.

Why on earth had he stormed off like he had? It was just one stupid argument about what they should do, and he'd let his anger get the better of him. And of all the reactions for losing his temper, he'd decided it was a good idea to go stomping off through the streets of a city filled to the brim with people that either wanted him dead or back under their thumb.

Gods, they were so fucking stupid!

"Hold it down! The boss wants it back in one piece," one of the men grasping the net shouted, pressing his foot down hard on their head. "Though, she never said anything 'bout bruising it up a little. 

"It deserves it. The fucker's nipped at me one too many times before," a woman's voice hissed from somewhere behind him, just out of his line of sight. "I hope your little vacation was worth it, monster, 'cause the Ringmaster's been chomping at the bit to teach you a lesson. I, for one, can't wait to see it."

"Would you just hurry it up? I want this thing out before it manages to bite anyone," the man grumbled as he and the others redoubled their efforts to pin the thrashing Selkie down. "Besides, we still gotta track down the bird. If this one's around, the its gotta be close."

"Unless it ate it," the woman snorted as Monsoon felt a sharp, painful pinch in their underbelly scales, the only place soft enough for a thin needle to pierce through. They snarled as it happened, trying to whip their neck around to snap at her hands before she snatched them away.

"Still got some fight left in ya, huh? Shame that it won't last much longer," the leader of the gang grunted as he put his full body weight into forcing their head back down.

Monsoon was about to spit something back, but a sudden wave of wooziness washed over him and stole the thought away. A groan forced its way from his jaws instead as his thrashing faltered and his vision lost a bit of focus.

It felt like their strength was slowly but surely being siphoned away, leaving nothing but a drowsy haze in its place. Their efforts had been forced to shift from an all-out struggle to simply just keeping their leaden eyelids from drooping shut, and they were losing that fight as well.

"It's almost kind of cute, when its like this," the woman's voice drifted into his ears, taking a moment to actually register in his sluggish mind. She sounded entirely too happy with herself after poking him with a needle filled with gods-know-what.

"We have very different definitions of 'cute,'" the leader sighed as his weight lifted off their head and neck. They knew that they should probably be using that moment to try and get the jump on their kidnappers, but their body didn't seem to get the message and remained completely limp.

Any other things that they might have said were lost on him as he finally lost the ability to keep his eyes open. He drifted off into darkness, silently dreading where he would find himself when he woke up.

@augusnippets

[gremlinwithapen]

Augusnippets Day #21: Hallucinations

tw: captivity, hallucinations

Val was in hell.

She sprinted through seemingly endless corridors, the blank walls making it impossible to distinguish one segment from another. No matter how many times she turned, or doubled back, or simply just ran straight ahead, she always ended up in the exact same spot.

Her body finally forced her to stumble to a stop, panting heavily. It was all she could do to not slump to the floor as she leaned against the wall, especially when her least favorite companion decided to rear its ugly head again. Jolts of pain joined her exhaustion in its efforts to make her pass out on the spot, but she was getting good at fighting past the dark spots crowding her vision.

"Why the fuck are you like this?" She hissed into the empty air as she caught her breath. Maybe it was aimed at the pain, or the maze, or at no one in particular. She didn't really know, and figuring it out was pretty far down on her priority list at the moment.

"Maybe that's a question you should be asking yourself, girl."

"Sibyl?" Val nearly choked on her own spit as the sound echoed through the corridors, making her look around wildly. That voice had always caused her stomach to twist nervously, and it had developed into something closer to a strange mix of anger and terror ever since the incident that had led to her escape.

As she tried not to panic, some faint presence in her head seemed to latch onto the uncovered memories of the horrible even; the few that she still had, at the very least.

The walls around her began to subtly shake, shimmering like a mirage in the desert. She staggered away, her eyes widening as they came back into focus again. The dark, dirty metal and coiling wires and pipes were oddly reminiscent of Catalyst's cockpit. It might have been comforting to her, but the soundscape was all wrong. There were no sounds of thrumming engines and clashing shit, no comrades relaying orders and making stupid jokes over the comm lines; only deafening silence.

"Val, please, don't do this!"

"Cassie!" Her head snapped up as the sound of her partner's pained voice. It seemed to be coming from every direction, so she just picked a path and ran.

"Cassie, where are you!?" She called out, pushing past her own pain as she searched for the source of the voice.

"At least I was forced to fight. You chose to become their little attack dog. You chose to become a monster."

"What? No, Monsoon, I never..." She trailed off, skidding to a stop again. Had she? How much of it had been her fault? How much of the blame was on the little orphan who wanted so badly to be a Pilot? If that orphan had even existed at all in the first place.

"Why did you let yourself hurt so many people? Why did you let them do the things that they did? So many were hurting, and you didn't even bother to put up a fight."

"I-I'm sorry, Circe," she stuttered as she whipped around again, trying to find the owner of the voice behind her. "If I had known-"

"But you didn't. You didn't even know that you ruined my life."

"Nobody... I didn't... I wouldn't..." Val's voice cracked, the sheer betrayal in the kid's voice making something snap inside of her. "I'm sorry! Gods, I'm so sorry..."

The sounds of her companions shouting at her swirled around as she fell to her knees, clutching her head. Cassie's screams mixed with Monsoon's snarls mixed with Circe's sobs mixed with Nobody's cold hisses, all forming a cacophony that broke her down. They were like manifestations of every doubt and fear she'd ever had, striking her again and again where she was weakest.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." She chanted over and over again, as if it would ward them off. Even after her voice gave out, her lips kept forming the words. The sound of her apologies had long since been drowned out by the hurricane of noise pounding in her ears, anyways.

She was in hell, and she was sure she deserved it.

@augusnippets

[gremlinwithapen]

Augusnippets Day #20: Favorite Treat

"Wait, so you've never had fresh fish before?" Circe gasped as her eyes went wide in disbelief. "Not once? Not even a nibble?"

"...No?" Monsoon said as the pair strolled through the open air market, a little surprised by just how much the Harpy's feathers ruffled up under its cloak. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you're from the ocean and you've never had fresh fish!" She stopped in the middle of the street and reached out of grab his shoulders with her front talons. "That's practically hearesy!"

"I mean, I'm not that picky about... And you're taking me somewhere," they huffed as it snagged one of their secondary arms with one of its own smaller wings and started dragging them down the road. They were getting better at not flinching away from the touch, and it was relatively easy to let it take them where it wanted.

"We need to remedy this as soon as possible," Circe declared, lifting her head into the air and breathing deeply. "Thankfully, a harbor town like this is the perfect place to do it. It almost reminds me of home, various fumes notwithstanding."

"At least it smells hell of a lot cleaner than back in the arena," Monsoon shrugged, taking the time to look around now that his companion had taken the lead. "I don't think I've ever seen this much water, well, ever."

It didn't take a third eye for them to guess the kind of look it was giving them after that particular statement, and they quickly moved to distract it.

"That place looks like it sells the kind of thing you want," he nodded in the direction of a ramshackle stand, adorned with nets and buckets of dead-eyed fish. A smoky smell caught his attention, and his attention drifted towards a collection of spits turning over a large fire. He might not have known what those roasting fish tasted like, but they looked incredible.

"Oh, good eye!" Her previous expression melted into a smile, and she quickly hurried over to grab some for the two of them.

Monsoon hung back, letting it do the talking. They were much more recognizable under their cloak than Circe was, and while they weren't sure a backwater planet like this had even heard of the arena before, they weren't going to risk it. They also weren't exactly the greatest when it came to social interactions, given their past and the kind of people they'd been raised around.

"You try it first. I want to experience the look on your face all on its own," the Harpy grinned as she walked back over, handing him a kebab loaded down with meat.

"All right, but I doubt I'm going to have that much of a... reaction..." They trailed off as they took a bite of their snack, flavor exploding in their mouth. Their eyes lit up as they quickly moved in for more, jaws snapping as they devoured the whole thing in seconds.

There was a thudding sound behind him, and it took him a minute to realize that it was his tail thumping against the cobblestone streets in happiness.

"Ah, there it is," Circe giggled softly as it nibbled at its own kebob, its own tail swaying amiably. "That was rather fast. Do you want another one?"

"Yes, please, that would be great," they said quickly, still riding the endorphin high from the greatest thing they'd ever had.

"Alright. Although, I think we're going to need a couple more than that," she gave him an affectionate nudge and walked back up to the stand.

And whatever grievances Cassandra would later have with the amount of money they'd spent would be immediately put to rest by the look of near childlike wonder on Monsoon's face as the pair walked back to the ship. Even if most of the supplies they'd grabbed made the whole kitchen smell like fish for weeks on end.

It was worth it, to see that spark in his eyes again.

@augusnippets